Rector’s Report to the Easter Vestry 2009
The Year in Reveiw
The big news in Ireland in the last 12 months has been the collapse of the Irish economy, and our church is certainly not exempt from the impact of this. Many individuals and families find themselves in a very different position from this time last year.
It is very pleasing to be able to say that at this stage our finances as a church are travelling reasonably well, and it is a testimony to the generosity of many people that this is true.
One impact of this crisis has been the shelving of the plans to develop the Woodbrook site behind the church. As you will remember, Dunn Laoghaire Rathdown Council rejected the first application by the developer, and the subsequent decline in the economy has meant that plans to move ahead with construction are also on hold. It is a lesson in the unpredictability of life. By this stage I would have imagined that construction would be well advanced.
This has also had an impact on our Property Masterplan work. While our plans are not formally linked in any way to the development at Woodbrook, we are at some pains to make sure that what we do is well co-ordinated with what is built around us. So while we have not abandoned plans to further develop the site, it is an opportunity for us to take our time and ensure that what we do is well thought out.
The current financial crisis is also an opportunity for us as a church to make sure that we take good care of each other. At a recent Vestry meeting we discussed the possibility of establishing a ‘Benevolence Fund’ for those who might need some financial help at this time. Of course, the assistance we could offer would be very small scale, but we felt nonetheless that we would like to be able to help if we are able. This might be an idea that you would like to pursue in the time set aside for recommendations at the end of this meeting.
Whatever we do with regard to our church site, we cannot evade the reality that we have a space crisis on our hands. Church on Sunday morning is increasingly full, and the youth and children’s work continues to grow. One of our groups, the Generation bible study, meets off site on a Sunday morning. This is not really an ideal situation and one of the challenges that faces Vestry is to find both a short term and long term solution to these kinds of problems.
Another exciting area of growth is that we are seeing the fruit of many years of excellent children’s and youth work. Simon Donohoe is currently studying at Cornhill in England; Neil Douglas has been working as our Ministry Apprentice, and others are emerging behind them. As a Vestry we are keen to encourage the future of the church in Ireland by raising up the next generation of leaders, and so we are discussing a Growing and Sending Fund, because we feel we have a responsibility to support those who are being developed.
During the year the Vestry decided that we would seek to perform the Caretaker’s duties in a different way, and to this point it would appear the experiment is working well enough. While clearly we miss having people dedicated to the up keep of the church, we have survived under the new system.
The Vestry undertook a review of our Vision Statement, and to re-think the strategies we are using as a church. On behalf of the Vestry I want to thank John Murphy who led us through the review process. While this didn’t produce radically new directions for Crinken, it did achieve a number of goals. We felt encouraged at the end that we were heading in the right direction. It reinforced the significance of clear Biblical teaching, and youth and children’s work for our church. It also helped us to see where we need to grow in the future.
Exciting Ministry Developments
Crinken Inter-National has reformed with an expanded brief and a new lease of life. It is very pleasing to see a group of people excited and enthusiastic about supporting the work of the Gospel both in Ireland and overseas. I want to especially thank Charis Rowan who is heading up Crinken Inter-National.
It was great to be able to run Simply Christianity again, and to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with those who are seeking to know more about the Lord Jesus. I want to thank all who supported this ministry in a variety of ways. It is also exciting that a new home group has started meeting, led by Noel and Jonie Griffin, partly as a result of the simply Christianity course.
I have touched on the Children’s and Youth Ministry of our church, but it is worth spelling out how much we are blessed as a church with the many children who attend. This became a ministry priority in my predecessor, Gordon Fyles’ time and we continue to bear the fruit of that decision, and the many hours of labour that people have invested in this area. We should not underestimate the quality and quantity of the work that Michael and Therese Hargraves are now doing. We are very blessed to have them.
I am encouraged by the recent growth of the Engage service. It has been a hard road for this service, yet in recent times I feel that we are beginning to see the development of a community of people who have the potential to be a powerful presence for the Lord Jesus. Please continue to pray for Engage.
Our Future
I believe the biggest challenge for Crinken continues to be that of connecting with our local community. Those of us who attend have such a wonderful experience of the love of Jesus, and we have so much to share with a world that is increasingly broken and needy. The big leadership challenge is finding the best way forward for this.
Thanks
It always risky to thank people, because of the danger of leaving someone out. However I would like to thank those who are stepping down from Vestry, or from their current role – Orla Wood, who has been People’s Warden, Eddie Blackstock, who has been Rector’s Warden, Geoff Scargill, veteran Vestry member, and Andrew Ellis. I especially want to thank Diane Lyons for her work as Vestry Secretary- she will be greatly missed! I want to thank all of them for being prepared to serve the Lord and our church in this way.
There are many other people who I could thank, but let me just finally thank Crinken for providing me with the opportunity to be the Rector of this church. It is indeed a privilege.
Edward Vaughan
29th April 2009
Posted by Diane Lyons on 04/30 at 08:36 PM
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